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Saturday, 14 November 2009

Diabetes is a condition where in the body does not produce enough insulin or produces ineffective insulin leading to an increase in blood sugar levels.

What do the recent statistics say?

India, China, US in the order is the top three countries having the largest number of Diabetic population. India has been termed as the 'DIABETIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD'. Statistics reveal that there are approximately 33 million adults with diabetes in India. This number is likely to increase to 57.2 million by the year 2025. People dread this disorder and some have the trouble of accepting that they have diabetes and making the required modification in their lifestyle. These problems arise if you do not know the facts about Diabetes. Here are some of the FAQ which will help to bust certain myths and make you aware of the facts.

How do I know if I have Diabetes?

The early stages of diabetes have very few symptoms, so you may not know you have the disease. Symptoms of diabetes may include the following:

Extreme thirst

Extreme hunger

Frequent urination

Sores or bruises that heal slowly

Dry, itchy skin

Unexplained weight loss

Blurry vision

Unusual tiredness or drowsiness

Tingling or numbness in the hands or feet

Frequent or recurring skin, gum, bladder or vaginal yeast infections

Screening is usually done with a blood test. Blood test during fasting as well as after having meals (post prandial) would be a good indicator to find out whether a person is diabetic or not. Fasting blood sugar for a normal person should be between 80-125mg/dl.

Some of you may say, "I am just 30+ yrs old; I will not get Diabetes, so why should I worry about it now?"

More and more young people between the ages of 30-45 are becoming prone to Diabetes. It is no longer a disease for the aged! The main reason being changes in lifestyle pattern i.e. major deviations in diet; decreased physical activity due to improved transportation and availability of energy-saving devices; a high level of mental stress associated with modernization. So if you have any two of the risk factors like a family history of Diabetes, overweight, a sedentary lifestyle accompanied by stress then you are more likely to end up having high blood sugar levels. So keep a tab on the risk factors and get yearly health check up done.

Some of you may say, "My parents are Diabetic; I will get the disease anyway, so in what way I can prevent this by taking precautions?"

If you follow a healthy lifestyle like having a well balanced diet with good amount of exercise every day, try to maintain your body weight in the normal range and also know how to handle stress then chances are that you might end up not having Diabetes at all or at least delay the onset of the disease.

Some may ask a question, "I am taking medications for Diabetes; my sugar levels are well controlled, I avoid sugar wherever possible; then what should I do more on diet/exercise?"

Managing Diabetes most effectively involves a three prong approach!, Diet, exercise and medications. This goes a long way in preventing fluctuations in blood sugar levels and also in preventing the complications. Good news for recently diagnosed diabetics! You can maintain blood sugar levels without popping any pills! This is possible by following a healthy and well balanced diet along with some exercises. Those who are not careful about their diet may end up taking more and more drugs or taking more units of insulin which is a huge strain not only on your purse but also on your overall health. Consulting a team of professionals would help you to manage Diabetes in a controlled manner, minimizing its complications.

Let me tell you now, "What precautions should you take to prevent Diabetes?"

The main risk factors for the onset of Diabetes can be divided into two parts - modifiable and non-modifiable.

Non-modifiable include high racial susceptibility to Diabetes and family history of Diabetes

Sunday, 1 November 2009

Most of you may have read about Ms. Anuradha Vaidyanathan of Bangalore. She became the first Indian woman to compete and complete the Ultraman Canada Endurance Race, considered as the ultimate endurance race for a tri-athlete in the world. This event was held in British Columbia region this Fall season. She completed the race in 35:13:58 hours, covering 10km of swim, 420 km of biking, followed by 84.3 km of running. Most of us will think this is inhuman, impossible for Indians, where marathon is considered foreign.

I am citing this just to show the capacity of human body. It is unbelievable. It is the most marvellous of creation of God by far. If managed well both in terms of mental and physical strength, it can be the wonderful home for your soul. Unfortunately, due to our busy life style plus ignorance of the fact that body requires adequate exercise to metabolize and assimilate nutrients, which we intake through food, we continuously abuse this marvellous piece of Gift of God.

Hence, physical exercise is a must for proper sustenance of human body function. I am NOT subscribing to the fact that you have to spend endless hours in gym or fitness centres, which have mushroomed throughout the city. If you can spend 15-20min every week day, and 45-60min on weekends to do exercise which focuses on flexibility, muscle toning, and aerobic activity, you have done justice to yourself.

Physical exercise play following role in body functioning: Improves strength and tone of muscles, improves strength of bones, increases endurance, maintains flexibility of joints, nourishes and detoxify organs, strengthen immune system, increases metabolism which help in building molecular structures, reduces body fat etc. 15-20min of exercise speeds up metabolism for 8-10 hrs after you stop exercising! And above all, it refreshes mind, thereby strengthens concentration power.

If I have to prescribe exercise for you - my suggestion is to start with Surya Namaskar. It is by far the most comprehensive body stretch, and once repeated multiple times, gives you cardiac workout as well. And it needs hardly any space. You can combine this with walking on weekends. For beginners, you can start with two cycle, and gradually increase this to ten.

And let me tell you exercise is addictive. Once you start, body secretes Endorphin hormone, which gives you FEEL GOOD factor. And this will give body a yearn for doing it again the next day. Try for few days, and then it will be routine for you.

2mpower Health Management has been started with the vision to EMPOWER YOU, the Consumers of Health. Today, we play ignorant when it comes to health matters, and leave the decision making to third party. 2mpower helps educate you, support you, encourage you, and finally empowers you, so that YOU can take charge of YOUR health forever.